(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thin film transistor (TFT) array panels for a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a method for manufacturing the same using four photolithography steps.
(b) Description of the Related Art
An LCD is one of the most widely used FPDs (flat panel displays). The LCD includes two panels having electrodes for generating electric fields and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two panels. The transmittance of incident light is controlled by the intensity of the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer.
The field-generating electrodes are typically provided at both or one of the panels, and one of the panels includes switching elements such as thin film transistors.
In general, a thin film transistor array panel is manufactured by a photolithography process using a plurality of photomasks. Conventionally, five or six photolithography steps are employed. Since the photolithography process is expensive, it is desirable to reduce the number of photolithography steps. Even though manufacturing methods using only four photolithography steps have been suggested, these proposed methods are not easy to implement.